The week in review

By Times staff writer

© St. Petersburg Times, published October 29, 2000

RELAPSE FOR STRAWBERRY: Darryl Strawberry was arrested after reportedly leaving a drug treatment center to take drugs with a friend, a violation of his probation on previous drug charges. He returned to the facility and tested positive for crack cocaine and Xanax, a prescription antidepressant, officials said.

It was the second time in two months that Strawberry, who lives in Cheval, stood accused of violating conditions of a plea agreement he entered after last year's arrest on cocaine possession and solicitation charges. "Needless to say we're always disappointed when an addict relapses," said Joseph Papy, regional director for the Florida Department of Corrections. "Darryl Strawberry is an addict."

Strawberry, 38, told officials he slipped away from the facility about 11 p.m. Oct. 21 with a friend and returned about 3 a.m. Oct. 22. State officials would not say where Strawberry was being treated, but his absence was noticed immediately. When confronted by his probation officer Monday morning, Strawberry acknowledged he smoked crack cocaine and popped about 10 Xanax pills, Papy said. He was arrested Wednesday when officials obtained the drug test results.

The suspended New York Yankees outfielder, who has colon cancer, told officials he's having trouble coping. He was charged with violating probation by disobeying curfew and taking drugs.

Appearing briefly in court Thursday, Strawberry's lawyer said he needed to be back in treatment, not jail. Strawberry did not speak, and the case was sent back to drug court.

ARREST IN LUTZ HOME INVASION: A 22-year-old man was charged with tying up an 82-year-old Lutz woman during a home invasion. Paul Brito of 5104 Peachgreen Court was arrested at the Cash America on Tuesday afternoon, his second trip to the pawnshop since the break-in, sheriff's officials said. Brito followed the woman into her home on Oct. 20, threw her to the floor and tied her up, officials said. He ransacked the home and took several items, including a television, officials said. The woman was able to free herself and sought help from a neighbor. She was treated for minor injuries.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter said Brito pawned the television during the weekend, and detectives issued a warrant for his arrest. He was arrested Tuesday after returning to the pawnshop and was charged with home invasion, kidnapping, aggravated abuse of an elderly person, defrauding a pawnbroker and dealing in stolen property.

SIERRA CLUB SUES OVER NEW TAMPA PLAN: The Sierra Club filed a lawsuit over the City Council's decision to rezone environmentally sensitive land in New Tampa for a 1,600-home golf course development. The suit, filed Tuesday in Circuit Court, says the development order and rezoning approved in July for Grand Hampton are inconsistent with the city's comprehensive plan.

The suit says the 645-acre development south of County Line Road would threaten the Cypress Creek Preserve -- a recharge area for the Hillsborough River -- disconnect greenways and destroy wildlife.

"I don't think there's any single piece of property that size that is that environmentally sensitive" in New Tampa, said Sierra Club member Denise Layne, co-chairs of its Tampa Bay conservation committee.

In gaining approval, Toll Brothers of Pennsylvania agreed to contribute $673,000 to protect upland habitats elsewhere in the city, an option allowed under the city's uplands ordinance. The Sierra Club wants the city and developer to scrap plans for a golf course and protect 106 acres of uplands on the site.

Tampa City Council member Bob Buckhorn said the city has "bent over backward" to satisfy the Sierra Club's concerns. Layne said the group remains interested in negotiating a settlement.

ELAPP SUBCOMMITTEE: DON'T TAKE DEAL: Meanwhile, a subcommittee of the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program said the city has undervalued the uplands where Grand Hampton is planned. Toll Brothers wants to give the city about $421,000 to restore and maintain 106.4 acres elsewhere in the county, but ELAPP members say the offer amounts to less than half of the going price on vacant uplands. Jan Smith of Lutz called the value on the land "an absolute absurdity."

Toll Brothers, as part of its $673,000 payment under the city's uplands preservation ordinance, had proposed paying $421,084 that the city would use to restore 30 acres at Cypress Creek called the Jennings tract, and approximately 70 acres of pasture land near Black Water Creek. Both parcels were county-owned upland habitats.

The ELAPP subcommittee wants its full committee to ask Toll Brothers to back off its plans for Grand Hampton. If Toll Brothers continues to push for off-site mitigation, then the city should try to negotiate a higher payment.

Turning down the money will be difficult for ELAPP, Ann Schnapf, an assistant sanctuary manager with Audubon of Florida said. But member Laura Swain said the deal "reeks of hypocrisy."

ALTERNATIVES TO PORTABLES: As the deadline nears for the state-mandated elimination of portable classrooms not up to new building codes, Hillsborough school officials are scrambling to find ways to add classroom space to schools. The district is urging principals to consider combining classes, assigning classes to multipurpose rooms, and providing more online courses in high school.

Randy Poindexter, assistant superintendent for administration, said the suggestions are designed to help schools make do with limited space until renovations or additions can be completed in the next five years.

There are now 1,163 portables used for classrooms in Hillsborough, with 703 used in elementary schools, 207 in middle schools and 253 in high schools. The Legislature ordered that the school district eliminate all portables that do not meet new building codes as of July 1. Superintendent Earl Lennard promised this year to rid the district of all classroom portables.

But some of the solutions -- particularly larger classes -- irked some who fear learning will suffer. "Smaller classes is what we have always fought for," said Linda Applegate, president of the county PTA/PTSA.

District officials say the only classes that might be made larger would be non-core courses, like art or music. And some special education classes might be combined with mainstream classes.

The cost of not abandoning the portables is high. Jack Davis, the assistant superintendent for operations, said retrofitting 1,502 older portables to new codes would cost $12,650 per portable. The 370 newer portables would cost roughly $2,100 apiece.

Davis said many schools with the most portables are likely to see their populations decrease with the building of new schools and renovations. Chamberlain High School, which at 37 has the most portables of any high school in the county, is being renovated.

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